Barcelona announced on Thursday afternoon that the captain Leo Messi would no longer stay at the club with a bombshell statement, claiming that La Liga rules made it impossible for Barça to register Messi’s contract. This was the news that rocked the world of football in the last few days. Barcelona president Laporta held the press conference after the club released a statement saying that could not sign Messi to a new contract due to La Liga rules over the size of the salary.
“We are over the salary limit that we are allowed. It is as simple as that,”
With proposed limits on salaries, the situation could potentially be a preview for Formula One. Given the fact that the Spanish football club was unable to meet financial regulations if they offered him a new deal the club, one of the greatest players of all time have parted ways.
The issue preventing the club to pay its star player is the new salary limits that now apply in the La Liga. There are also discussions regarding the salaries for drivers in Formula 1, after a cap was introduced on spending by Formula 1 teams this year. The limit will reportedly be 30 million euros per year for both drivers, which some drivers are reportedly already exceeding. So could the salary cap in Formula 1 lead to a similar situation as Barcelona and Messi?
Sportswriter expert Valentin Khorounzhiy from The Race does not think that will happen in Formula One, as there are a few important differences. “The limit in Formula 1 will be fixed on paper, while the limit in the La Liga is linked to the club’s income. The coronavirus has had a lot of influence on that, in addition to FC Barcelona’s excessive spending in recent years.”
The size of the teams also means that the salary cap will cause a lot less headaches in Formula 1. Teams will only have to take two drivers into account, instead of a team and a bench of players. The new rules may just prevent super teams, though. “The concept of a superteam as with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost was already no longer very much in vogue with modern top teams, but it would now become completely unaffordable.”
In addition, the limit could become mainly detrimental to the ‘number two’ drivers. If a top team wants to keep a driver like Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton, there is very little left in terms of salary for the other driver. Unlike football clubs and leagues, Formula 1 does not have to fear competing race series. Drivers are less likely to switch to for example Indy Car for a better salary. Yet the Barcelona – Leo Messi events do represent a signal and a good reason for the FIA, Liberty Media and Formula 1 teams to reconsider the salary cap matter.
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